Chris Deaver, Ian Clawson
“This just sucks.
“What major event will happen next?”
“When will it ever end?”
Pandemic. Wars. Economic devastation. Frustration. Depression. When we think we’re done, we find ourselves right back waking up with the ongoing nightmare following us wherever we go. Politics is just an extension of this problem. We are where we need to go. What’s next? The future seems less certain. Change is the only certainty. It’s easy to feel like giving up or placing blame on someone or something.
We’re left sifting through the debris to find our way out, again and again. For most of us life has felt like we’ve been stuck inside a box leading up to this massive change. The psychological tornado appears to be over. It’s gone.
Now, we can see ourselves clearly and in more detail: The good, the bad, and the ugly. It is now uncomfortable to be present in our reality. This ideal seems more distant than ever. Introspection is a moment in time.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish. Where there is no shared vision, the people never achieve their full potential.”
Perhaps it is not all about finding ourselves. Perhaps our way forward can be described as one of awareness and courage. What can we do to control the outcome of our lives in the future? Is it possible to be bold enough to collaborate differently with other people?
Don’t compare and compete. Take a look at how you can contribute to culture. What it is. What we can do to improve our skills.
We need to be able to deal with it all.
1. Blame is Reactive Most reactions cause us to look externally for the cause and effect, the culprit, the catalyst. There is always someone or something to be blamed. The reality is that most situations aren’t so simple. We want our situations to be portrayed in a black-and-white manner. Reactions are usually triggered emotions. Early judgements and victimization are common. You have the ability to make your own decisions. We can choose to become bitter or get better.
2. Responsible = Proactive. We must think and act independently in order to secure the future. Freedom comes with responsibility. You must be capable of responding. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. It doesn’t matter if our brains are trained and our lives set up to learn how to behave. Are we able to respond or react? Growing means that we have to choose between transformations and transactions. What can be done to ensure that we are aligned with the things that really matter?
3. The Connecting Dots of Co-Creative. The act of co-creating means that people who are not independent choose to work with other people. The co-creator is someone who has something to give and also recognizes the talents of others. The goal of co-creation involves connecting people, ideas and ideas with people. While we can create the environment for co-creation and set the rules, it is difficult to know that there will be a learning curve. It takes time. Because co-creation does not come easy, we need to give ourselves the time, space, energy, and patience. Just because co-creation is hard doesn’t mean that our future doesn’t deserve the best we can give. What can we do to be more deliberate about involving others? What can we do to bring out our best in others?
Below are some ideas to help you bring co-creation to your life and work.
Gesundheit
Reactive: Wait until you absolutely need to go to the doctor. Make sure you take your medications. Eat a bit different to “not die”.
Proactive: Get serious about health. Regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and adequate rest are all important to your health.
Co-Creative: Build a routine with others, join forces to exercise together and learn workout techniques, share recipes, and drive the conversation and energy with others in an inspired way. What can you do to make a difference?
Remote meetings
Reactive: Stick with the organization’s agenda, keep it a download session, make it a one-directional discussion to ensure participants receive the information.
Proactive: Prepare to make the meeting less dismal. Ask for topics that people are interested in, get more participation, keep the meeting short, and close it early.
Co-Creative: Lead with questions, build a fluid conversation, get in “the zone” together. What can you do to increase the energy and make things work together?
Plan
Reactive: Wait for things to pop up on your schedule, and deal with them as they come.
Proactive: Set a certain time each week for inventory and planning. Wake up with your “to do” list.
Co-Creative: Consider your “to be” list. Spend time together. Find common building blocks. When you can, make it possible to co-create throughout the week. Which way are you going to be there?
Performance Management
Reactive: Wait for the boss to pull you into a conversation about results or avoid it.
Proactive: Deliver results. Plan and prepare for these conversations.
Co-Creative: Build an ongoing conversation around impact and perception of the work. Which are all the expectations? Together, create it with your leaders.
Interviews
Reactive: Ask candidates if they did homework on your organization. What makes them want to be part of your team? You can ask them questions about their resume.
Proactive: Ask questions that challenge others to reveal new things. Discover ways you can tap into their passions. You can use this opportunity to build a deeper understanding of them.
Co-Creative: Inspire each other with deep insights from your hearts and minds. Look for common values to see if there are any connections. If the candidate has great potential, be flexible and open to exploring better alignment. Which role can you create together?
Social posts
Reactive: Get sucked into consumer mode, scrolling for hours. Look at what others are doing and then do the same thing. Returning to posts you’ve made to see how many likes or followers.
Proactive: Share your authentic voice, looking to influence others. You should be focusing on the content, quality, and timing of your post.
Co-Creative: Transcend the algorithms. Create connections with other people and work together. What can you do to create context for others?
Intellectual Growth
Reactive: Read or listen to random things, mostly social or news. You are primarily looking for entertainment or distractions from the worries you have.
Proactive: Get serious about learning, and focus on learning new skills, listening to podcasts that will help you improve, etc. You should be intentional about whom you follow on Facebook, who are your role models, and what you think.
Co-Creative: Build/shape new learning experiences for others (writing, teaching, book clubs, side hustles etc.Mentor others. What can you do to position yourself for growth that will help others?
Doing deep work
Reactive: Survival mode. Get through the day quickly and don’t get distracted. You just need to get through your day.
Proactive: Striving mode. Allow yourself to meditate, open your mind, and listen to your intuition. You can do what you’ve been putting off. You can learn and adapt as you go.
Co-Creative: Thriving mode. You can connect to your soul, and you can go deeply with others. Keep your heart open to the cocreative energy that drives you passion and purpose. Is it possible to always follow your true north?
Set your goals
Reactive: Setting goals scares you. But what if you don’t succeed? How will people view you?
Proactive: Have a vision, set goals, focus on planning, and go after it.
Co-Creative: Build innovative goal-achievement into the patterns in life, partnering with others whenever possible (playing sports, starting a shared venture, while building a relationship with your son, painting with your friend, etc.). How will you keep your focus on the themes that are most important to increase co-creative patterns within your life?
Selfcare
Reactive: Aim for a three-day weekend by asking for a day off at work. You can always ask for a sick day if things become too overwhelming at work.
Proactive: Plan fun things to do, and make it happen. Include it in your routine. Get your heart rate up with activities that are physically and mentally challenging. Go outside and enjoy the fresh air and warmth of nature. Try to avoid watching too much TV at night, and get enough sleep.
Co-Creative: Build experiences with your deep self in relation to others. You can find things that will inspire you and help to build relationships with your loved ones. What can you do to make your life more inspirational?
Co-creative thinking is key to the future. Being proactive is great, but co-creative thinking can help us achieve our best. It takes practice to become a master of co-creative living. Get started now, and you will see the power it has on your future.
Today, how can you become more collaborative? How will you be more co-creative this week? This year?
Ian Clawson & Chris Deaver are co-founders at www.bravecore.co; a leadership consultancy that’s shaping the future by helping leaders be more creative and creatives be better leaders.